ST. CHARLES – St. Charles resident Clifford McIlvaine said Friday that the city is “destroying” his house after a judge recently allowed the city of St. Charles to proceed with repairing McIlvaine’s property at 605 Prairie St., including correcting an unfinished roof.

“The city hasn’t done anything right,” said McIlvaine, as he videotaped workers installing an asphalt shingle roof on his house. “I would have had a nice metal roof that would look a lot better than what they are putting on.”

In 1975 and 1976, the city issued him building permits for the construction of a detached garage and addition to the home. The house, which dates to the early 1920s, is his boyhood home.

Kane County Judge David Akemann in May allowed the city of St. Charles to proceed with repairing McIlvaine’s property, including correcting an unfinished roof and removing outside debris and construction materials deemed hazardous. McIlvaine said he soon might ask the court to stop the work.

“I want the court to approve the roof we already have a permit for,” McIlvaine said. “They are totally destroying all the energy efficiency of the building.”

He wanted to install a superinsulated metal roof. McIlvaine added that the asphalt roof being installed now is a black and gray roof, not the white roof agreed upon.

The city sued McIlvaine in 2010, pushing him to get the project finished. A work schedule later was agreed upon in court. The project was supposed to have been completed by the end of September, according to the order.

“Just because I’ve taken 35 years to add on to the house, that doesn’t make it bad,” McIlvaine said.
Phil Luetkehans, an attorney for St. Charles, refuted what McIlvaine said.

“He picked out the colors for the roof,” Luetkehans said. “We never promised him a color. The roof we are putting up is in compliance with the city’s code. We feel very comfortable with what we are putting on.”

Luetkehans said the roof work should be done in the next week or two. He said he is pleased with the progress that has been made since Akemann allowed the city to proceed with repairing McIlvaine’s property.

St. Charles aldermen recently approved hiring Absolute Construction and Roofing to install an asphalt roof on his house.

“Our goal is to have this done by the end of July,” Luetkehans said.

A status hearing on the case is set for July 12. McIlvaine said he might seek legal representation to take on the city.

“If they can do this to me, they can do it to anybody in town,” he said.